item details
NameNurse's bonnet
ProductionUnknown; sewer (textile worker); circa 1915; New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand
Classificationhats, uniforms
Materialscloth, thread
Materials Summaryhand and machine sewn bonnet
Techniqueshand sewing, machine sewing, pleating
DimensionsOverall: 190mm (height), 230mm (length), 100mm (depth)
Registration NumberPC001710
Credit lineGift of Mrs A. Porteous, 1972
Overview
New Zealand nurses serving in World War I wore bonnets like this grey silk example. Its crown is created from pleats, and bows are positioned at the base of the neck and brim.
Elizabeth Ann Porteous
The bonnet was probably made and worn by a nurse from Dannevirke, Miss Elizabeth Anna Porteous, as part of her outdoor uniform. Elizabeth Porteous, serial no. 22/159, embarked on 10 July 1915 as a member of the second contingent of New Zealand Army Nursing Corps nurses to serve overseas. The group of 69 travelled on the maiden voyage of the hospital ship Maheno. Sister Porteous distinguished herself while serving in hospitals Egypt, France, and England. She was mentioned in dispatches and was made an Associate of the Royal Red Cross.